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Raphinha double guides Barcelona to easy win
Barcelona captain Raphinha scored twice as they returned to winning ways in LaLiga for the first time in a month with a 5-1 victory at Mallorca on Tuesday, with the visitors netting four times in the second half.
Barca manager Hansi Flick decided to rest LaLiga top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, who started all 20 previous matches in all competitions, while Lamine Yamal returned to the starting team after almost a month out with an ankle injury.
Without Yamal, Barca had seemed to hit a brick wall, picking up only one point in their previous three matches, but with the 17-year-old back in the line-up, they were firing once again.
Barca top the standings on 37 points, four ahead of second-placed Real Madrid who have two games in hand. Atletico are third on 32 points.
Barca took an early lead with Ferran Torres scoring following a comical mistake by the hosts' defence in the 12th minute. Johan Mojica fired an attempted clearance against a teammate, with the ball finding Torres, who was perfectly placed to strike home under the goalkeeper's legs.
Barca created a few chances in a slow-paced first half and Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi levelled the scoring from a quick counter attack just before the break.
Yet Barca came out flying in the second-half and Raphinha, who almost scored from a free kick minutes earlier, restored their lead from the penalty spot in the 56th minute after Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the box.
Yamal crossed to Raphinha to extend Barca's lead with a tap-in in the 74th minute and substitutes Frenkie De Jong and Pau Victor added to the goal-feast with late strikes from inside the box to wrap up an easy win.
"We knew how important it was to win again," Raphinha told Movistar Plus.
"In the last three games something has been missing. Today we were good, it wasn't our best game, but winning was the most important thing.
"I am living my best moment professionally but I don't want to stop there. I want to do much more for this club, which I am very fond of. I will give everything I can on the pitch so we can maintain momentum moving forward."
Leverkusen stun hosts Bayern
Holders Bayer Leverkusen scored against the run of play through Nathan Tella in the second half to beat 10-man hosts Bayern Munich 1-0 on Tuesday and advance to the German Cup quarter-finals.
It was the first defeat this season in the league or domestic Cup for Bundesliga leaders Bayern, who had keeper Manuel Neuer sent off with a straight red card in the 17th minute, the first dismissal in the 38-year-old's long career.
The defeat means the Bavarians have now failed to get past the quarter-final stage in the German Cup since they last won the competition in 2020.
Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso has won all nine of his German Cup matches as a coach while his team has now gone five matches against Bayern without defeat.
"It was not our best game with the ball or even with an extra man but we applied our plan," said Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah.
"It was not immediately easy to adapt to having an extra man. We did not use it in the first half. We were too hectic and wanted to score quickly."
"We did not do it perfectly today but we were effective and then Nathan headed in the winner."
Both teams were missing their leading strikers with Leverkusen without Victor Boniface and Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane sidelined for weeks after picking up an injury in Bayern's draw at Borussia Dortmund last week.
In a pulsating start both sides battled for control until Bayern's Neuer bodychecked Jeremie Frimpong outside the box to get his marching orders with a straight red card.
"I tried to get to the ball but didn't get there in time," Neuer said. "I was hoping he would be in an offside position. I can't change it now. It was a mistake and I have to accept it."
The hosts had to shift things around with reserve keeper Daniel Peretz coming on for Leroy Sane but they still had the better chances in the first half through Kingsley Coman, Konrad Laimer and Leon Goretzka.
Leverkusen, however, struck against the run of play in the 69th minute when Tella, who had come on eight minutes earlier, headed in a superb Alex Grimaldo cross.
Bayern struggled to carve out chances until Michael Olise's curled effort in stoppage time as Leverkusen held on to their slim lead to keep their German Cup title defence on track.
